


Comfort

by redspedic



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff, Other, Stargazing, bloodhound doesnt want to reveal their face but also doesn't want mirage to feel less loved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 21:06:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17815526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redspedic/pseuds/redspedic
Summary: Bloodhound had been on a hunt for so long, they couldn't remember the last time they'd felt like they do with Mirage. However, they do sometimes feel like they can't require Mirage as much attention as he does to them - they try their best to change that.





	Comfort

They weren't sure how to describe their feelings for anyone, or for anything in general – for so long Bloodhound had been on the hunt, with no desire to be close to anyone and showing no signs of affection, they had built a shield around themselves.  
Like a harsh bubble made of expectedly unbreakable material; sometimes they'd felt like they couldn't get out of it either – it was rugged from both sides and they didn't have a way of breaking it.  
Most times they'd felt like they didn't even want for it to break. They'd be safe inside and only Gods would decide when it was their time to break out from it.  
  
It had changed when a certain man came around in their life, always shooting his shot at any given time, even in the middle of the battle – he'd shoot a wink at Bloodhound and the next moment he'd have a bullet in his arm for not having paid attention to his surroundings and paid with getting hurt by the enemy.  
After their help he'd ask them if he'd own them a dinner – happened a lot – and sometimes call them wonderful.  
They'd be hiding and he'd shift to sit as close to them as possible – as close as Bloodhound felt comfortable with, he was a respectable man – and start talking about things, like ″Hey, you wanna hear a joke I just made up?″ or ″So how exactly does that raven follow you everywhere?″ and anything he could think of, just to keep them company.  
  
He had first introduced himself as Elliott; then he'd got scolded by Wraith and correct himself; ″Yeah, codenames. Mirage. Well, now you know my actual name anyway – don't know if that's a good thing, but I'll expect it to be you if someone comes up to my house to kill me, then, right?″  
It had been a joke. He joked around a lot.  
  
However – all of the treatment they'd got from Mirage had struck to them; like he would've had this intense desire to actually see them as a person, deeper than just a murderer or a hunter. Like when he'd shown something on the map and accidentally brushed their hand – they had immediately noticed his widened eyes as he had laughed it off with a joke again; ″Next time you wanna hold my hand, just ask and I'll be glad to give you the word. And my hand, obviously.″  
They hadn't took it as a joke anymore, though.  
″Then I will ask for your permission to hold it right now″, they had had finally the courage to reply to him and Mirage'd immediately looked like he was about to explode from confusion – shifting in his positioning and shuffling his hair, letting out a nervous laugh and mumbling something facing the wall, they'd known it hadn't been just a joke.  
Then they had took a gentle hold of his hand and he'd squeezed it back.  
  
And he'd done cracks to Bloodhound's shield a lot – smile after smile; flirty winks of an eye; sweet comments about their skills, appearance (though they never did show their face, Mirage had always something to compliment about them, like their hands or ″fluffy hood″ or ″Genuinely and literally a cool mask, where did you get that? Can I get one too? Would I look cool in it?″) or basically anything they'd done and he'd seen it – and they'd felt confused about it. They weren't the type to let go of their beliefs or personal rules for someone. They hadn't wanted for it to break.  
  
But it did – and it was exactly at that point where they'd heard about Mirage's feelings.  
He'd been nervous about it, rambling a lot and stumbling on his words, but they were patient.  
″I just feel like– This is so stupid, am I stupid? Oh dear. Here we go. I– uh.″  
Both of them had positioned themselves to a worn, empty building with guns lowered to their sides as Bloodhound had been applying bandage to Mirage's shoulder.  
″Can I say it? Like, you won't get mad at me if I do? Really? Adult promise?″  
″You can trust me. I will not be mad at you.″  
″Huh. Okay. So... How do I say it?″ Mirage had taken a deep breath and they weren't sure if it was because he was nervous or because he was hurting from the wounds.  
″You're super cool, like incre... in... inbe... –incredible, that's the word″, he'd stuttered a bit with his compliment, ″And you always know what to do, and you're always here for me, and you... like...″ They'd started to bandage his upper arm.  
″You never just leave me hanging when I talk to you – and I talk a lot, you know. People get tired of me usually in, like, a few days when they see that I'm not just–″ Mirage had let out a proud huff, ″–Dashing looks.″  
Bloodhound had raised their brows behind their mask.  
  
″And I guess I'm trying to say that I like you. Like, a lot. As more than a... partner in battle? Or friend? Are we friends?″ His words had struck to Bloodhound and they'd felt like a rock had suddenly been stuck in their throat.  
″How could you love me?″  
″I literally just complimented you for the last few minutes. Like, nonstop. Hey, I can continue if you want, though. There's a lot I'd love to learn about you... and... stuff. That's cheesy. But true!″  
They'd fallen silent for a moment, inspecting Mirage's wounded arm with a bandage been wrapped around it – then they'd raised their head a bit to see Mirage holding his breath and his lower lip being bit in a distressed motion.  
″I...″ They'd lowered their head again, only then realizing how right their hands had felt holding Mirage's arm just firmly enough.  
″I'd love to hear more when the time is right″, Bloodhound had confessed, ″–When the battle is over.″  
They hadn't really expected for Mirage to pick up the hint of their mutual feelings, since they had been really uncomfortable yet with describing their actual feelings outloud as clearly as they'd wished they could – but he had seemed to get what Bloodhound had meant and he'd had the widest beam on his lips.  
″Sure thing.″  
  


* * *

  
  
After months of them knowing about each others feelings and learning about each other – Bloodhound more about Mirage than him about them, and he wanted to respect their wish for privacy – Bloodhound didn't feel as uncomfortable with their feelings anymore.  
  
″Look″, Mirage pointed his finger up at the sky to a certain constellation, ″That looks like porkchops.″  
″That's the third time you have said that about a constellation″, they reminded him with the tiniest amusement in their tone. Mirage made a dramatic gasp.  
″Porkchops are literally the light of my life, Houndie″, Mirage convinced them and rolled to his side to lie on the grass, now facing Bloodhound. They rolled from their back to their side to face their partner back.  
″Of course.″  
  
Before they could react, Mirage lifted his leg around Bloodhound and pushed them to lie on their back, leaning down to plant kisses on their mask.  
″Wait-″ They let out a quiet laugh and put their hands on his shoulder gently enough to keep him right there - there was no intention of pushing him away, just bringing more closeness between the two.  
″Kissy gouramis don't wait″, he joked and they felt his hands on the sides of their mask as there was more pecks coming to get planted on different parts of their mask.  
He liked to be cheesy - and Bloodhound, to be honest, didn't have a problem with that. They felt Mirage getting further from their mask soon and placing himself on their lap to sit down, to relax - they knew how much energy Mirage usually spent and when he'd get tired and more serious. After a long day of fighting at the games and using every minute of his free time to give attention to them, they knew he'd feel extremely tired.  
  
There was a moment of silence between the two - there was no fight, no hurry, just the two of them spending time together under the starts on a quiet hill. It felt more cozy than Bloodhound could've thought it would've.  
They could notice Mirage lifting his hand up a bit - then lowering it back and furrowing his brows a bit before bringing his hand to rest on the side of their mask. Though they couldn't really feel it, Bloodhound knew he was tracing his finger on the surface.  
″Is something wrong?″  
″Not really″, Mirage guessed, ″It's just... I'm just kinda thinking about what your face feels like.″  
Bloodhound was patient to wait for Mirage to finish his sentence - it often took a while for him to think of what to say, and they'd learned that a long time ago. They didn't want to interrupt his thoughts.  
″Like- I know you don't wanna show your face or anything, and I respect that, really - I don't care what you look like, I just- It feels kinda distant?″  
They sat up and Mirage hopped off their lap to sit right next to them. He took a hold of their gloved hand with both of his hands, starting to fiddle with their fingers as he kept his eyes locked on their hands. He was getting nervous.  
″You want me to kiss you?″  
″Kinda... Kinda, yeah? Maybe? I mean, it'd be nice, but you don't gotta, you know. Just... whatever makes you comfortable. I'm okay with things being like this, but...″  
  
It struck Bloodhound. They hadn't really thought about that - they knew Mirage wasn't lying when he said he'd be fine with whatever, but had they really ever thought about what he felt like when he couldn't get his hand kissed or his face planted with supportive pecks?  
″Close your eyes″, they demanded with a soft voice and Mirage's eyes widened a little with surprise, but he was quick to obey.  
They shifted their hand from Mirage's fidgeting hands - now he was wrapping his fingers together in all kinds of positions he could bend them together as Bloodhound's own hands were lifted up to their mask. They raised their hands with a bit pressure to get the mask off their face -  
Bloodhound wasn't sure if they had missed the fresh air gently swaying on their bare skin, against their face.  
  
″Don't open your eyes, please″, they requested and took a hold of Mirage's jaw with their hand, gently lifting their hand up his face and caressing his cheeks with their thumbs for a moment.  
″Okay. Is this some kind of face massage? Feels kinda comforting. Really gentle, too″, he questioned and Bloodhound felt a tiny smile growing on their lips.  
″You can think of it as one″, they assured before leaning closer to his face and realizing how different it felt to actually be close to him. They were _actually_ about to feel his face - and they were curious enough to not let their careful personality shield them from the experience.

  
Bloodhound pressed their chapped lips against his surprisingly soft cheek and they heard him gasp.  
″Oh- Oh, you- You didn't have to- Sorry, did I make you feel bad? I didn't mean to-″ Mirage was quick to ask for confirmation with a nervous tone and they held his face a bit stricter.  
″You didn't. I have wanted to do this- I just wish to not show my face yet″, Bloodhound replied as they inspected Mirage's movements - he was shifting silently in his place and fidgeting his fingers together again; his eyelids were pressed shut tight and his cheeks started to feel burning, even when they weren't touching his face anymore. The feeling was glowing from his skin to the small distance between their faces.  
″Are you nervous?″  
″Um, hello? A gorgeous datemate kissing my face? Hell yeah I'm nervous.″  
″...Datemate?″  
″Partner? Babe? Gorgeous someone? I don't know lots of nicknames like that- Love of my life? Yeah, that's it.″  
They really wanted to let out a laugh.  
″Sounds pleasing to me″, Bloodhound assured and planted another kiss on his face, suddenly feeling like they could go on forever doing this.  
  
Their lips had basically now touched every part of his face except for his lips - even the corners of his eyes had got their attention. Mirage had got more comfortable and less nervous under their touch, but they could still tell he was a bit tense.  
″Your lips...″ Bloodhound started and lowered their gaze to Mirage's lips, ″I...″ They really wanted to, but didn't quite yet feel ready. It felt odd to leave them without attention, but Mirage always wanted to make sure Bloodhound felt comfortable with everything they were doing, so they didn't quite feel shame when they said; ″I will kiss them later. Not yet.″  
″That's okay″, Mirage assured them with a surprisingly soft, quiet tone like he was about to fall asleep under their hands and lips, ″I'll wait.″  
Bloodhound smiled at their partner's support and planted the last kiss on his glabella before leaning away from him. They were quick to put their mask back on and feel its familiar touch.  
″You can open your eyes now.″  
″Already?″ Mirage pouted - after opening his eyes, though, he had a huge smile on his face; just like a five-year-old kid seeing a big teddy bear in the store. It probably had been a fake pout.

  
″So, uh, what did it feel like? To... Not have that mask on?″  
″It felt odd″, Bloodhound confessed, ″But feeling your skin felt better.″  
Mirage's eyes widened and his mouth opened in awe, his light-dark skin noticeably getting flushed over the tops of his cheeks. Kind of cute.  
″Aw, man, you're making me embarrassed″, he tried to laugh it off as a joke, ″Really pheno- phen... pen- like, cool. And weird. I feel so weird right now.″  
″Is it a bad thing?″  
Mirage's smile didn't disappear from his lips as he pushed Bloodhound to lie on their back on the grass and he dropped down to lie next to them, snuggling his head to rest on their shoulder.  
″Could feel like that more often.″  
″I promise you, from this moment–″ Bloodhound raised their gaze up to the sky - the sky, prettied up and fussy with shining dots of stars, ″You will.″


End file.
